Motion-Informed Topological Interlocking: A Framework for Reversible Timber Assemblies

Contemporary timber construction relies on adhesives and fasteners that hinder disassembly, limiting reuse and accelerating waste. This project proposes a new class of reversible timber assemblies based on motion-informed topological interlocking, where stability arises from reciprocal geometric dependency and disassembly is possible only through specific trajectories. Robotics is essential here not as a means of automation, but as an investigative instrument to explore feasible trajectories, measure tolerance margins, and validate repeatable disassembly without material damage. The research will integrate 3D graphic statics to resolve force equilibria, geometric transformations to encode interlocking dependencies, and robotic kinematics to guarantee executable trajectories. By combining geometry and motion, a new design principle is established that defines timber structures as adaptive and circular, minimising waste, and extending carbon storage over multiple life cycles.